Pyrophoric burner lighter



May 15 195l H. F. MCKEE ET AL PYROPHRIC BURNER LIGHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 15, 1949 Afro/v5 mi May 15, 1951 H.F.MCKEE ETAL PYROPHORIC BURNER LIGHTER Filed April 15 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HVVENTORJ Patented May 15, 1951 A 2,553,101 PYRoPHoRIo BURNER LIGHTER Harold F. McKee, Cleveland, and Frank A. Kosmerl, East Cleveland, Ohio Application April 15, 1949, Serial N 0. 87,7 26

1 Claim.

This invention relates to pyrophoric lighters for lighting gaseous or vapor fuel burning devices, such as lamps, lanterns and stoves, and more particularly to a lighter which is permanently attachable to the fuel-burning device to ignite the fuel, when desired.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved pyrophoric lighter which can be permanently mounted on a fuel-burning device, such as a lamp, lantern or stove, to ignite the fuel in the mantle or wick of such device, which is contained in the device, so that it is maintained in a dry and uncorroded condition, is properly positioned relative to the mantle or wick to obtain ignition with a minimum amount of sparking of the lighter, is mounted in closed devices, such as lamps and lanterns, so that it is accessible for operation from outside the device, rendering it unnecessary to open the device in order to ignite the mantle or wick and thereby greatly reducing the breakage of mantles, and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, and can be applied to existing fuel-burning devices of the character indicated, without material modification of such devices.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claim in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fragmentary portion of a single mantle lantern and a pyrophoric device illustrative of the invention mounted in operative position in the lantern, a portion of the lantern being broken away and shown in longitudinal cross-section to better illustrate the positioning of the pyrophoric lighter therein;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, medial cross-section of a fragmentary portion of a two-mantle lantern showing a pyrophoric lighter illustrative of the invention operatively mounted in the lantern;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a two-burner gaseous or vapor fuel stove, such as a gasoline stove, showing a pyrophoric lighter illustrative of the invention operatively mounted on the stove for selectively igniting both of the stove burners;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a fragmentary portion of the stove illustrated in Figure 3 and the pyrophoric lighter mounted thereon, looking from the line 4-4 of Figure 3 Figure 5 is a front elevation of a pyrophoric lighter illustrative of the invention;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of an angled washer used in mounting the lighter in a device having an inclined or support wall, such as in the two-mantle lantern of Figure 2.

With continued reference to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 5 and 6, the pyrophoric lighter comprises a bracket, generally indicated at IIJ, having a straight bight portion I I, and two opposite end portions I2 and I3 which project substantially perpendicularly from the same side of the bight portion II at the ends of the latter and are disposed in spaced-apart, substantially parallel relationship to each other. The bracket is preferably formed of a piece of metal having an elongated, rectangular shape with the end portions or legs I2 and I3 extending from one of the wider sides of the bight portion I I.

The end portions I2 and I3 are provided with respective apertures which are mutually aligned, and a shaft I4 extends through the apertures in the end portions of the bracket. Near the bracket end portion I2 the shaft is provided with a concentric extension I5 of reduced diameter which extends through the aperture in the bracket end portion I2 and is peened over at its end, as indicated at I 6, so that the shaft is held against longitudinal movement relative to the bracket in one direction.

A Hint-holding tube Il is secured to the bight portion I I of the bracket near the end portion I2, and projects outwardly from the bight portion in a direction substantially opposite that in which the end portion I2 projects from the bight portion, the tube I1 being also preferably disposed substantially perpendicular tothe bight portion of the bracket.

A striker wheel IS is secured on the reduced portion I5 of the shaft opposite the adjacent end 0f tube Il, and the bight portion of the bracket is provided with an aperture in registry with the bore of the tube, so that a flint ISin the tube Will project through the bight portion of the bracket and into contact with the adjacent peripheral surface of the wheel I8. The tube may be soldered or brazed to the bracket, or, the,

aperture in the bight portion of the bracket may be made of suiilcient size to receive the adjacent end of the tube therein with a pressed t, or may be screw threaded to receive screw threads on ternally screw-threaded shank 23 threaded through the aperture in the bracket end portion I3, and a head 24 opposed to that side of the bracket end portion I3 remote from the end portion I2. The bolt 22 isprovided with 'a longitudinally-extending, concentric bore which re'- ceives the shaft I4 and in which the shaft is journaled.

The shaft I4 extends outwardly beyond the head of the bolt 22 and an externally-knurled knob 25 receives the outwardly-projectingend of the shaft in one end of a longitudinally-eine? tending, concentric bore 26 provided tnregh the knob.V Adjacent one end, the' knob is piro'-v vided with a radially-extending, screwethreaded" aperture through which a set screw 21 extends into engagement with the shaft to irr'nly f'sec'u're the knob on the shaft.

If desired, a spare hint 2B may be 'placed .in the bore of the knob 23 beyond the end of shaft I4i and a screw plug 29vmay be threaded into the' outer end of the knob bore to retain the extra .flint 2s in Ytrie here. ,Y

With the vabove-r'iesclzl'fibed construction, when the .knob 25 is manualiy rotated er 'tv/ined,h the Striker wheel I8 will be rotated against 'the ade jacent end 'of .flint le and will cause sparks te fly away from' the flint in theYd-irection o'i rotation of the wheel.-v The lighter inlay be' seel-irelyv mounted on a gaseous 0r vaporefuel-buni-ng device by clamping a lighter-Supporting struc'- tu-re, as indicated at 3l! in Figures 5 and d,v bee tween the head 24 of the bolt 22 andthe ade jacent side of the bracket end portion i3. The bight portion I I of the bracket may also be 'procreated at 3l, 'for securing the lighter to certaintypes of fuel-burning devices.

Figure -1 illustrates the manner "of applying! l'the improved pyrophoric lighter to a sin'glee'ria'ntle gasoline lantern of known construction. This lantern has a 'fuels-'containing bowl or tank 32 surmounted by a perforated, cylindrical neck 33 having a top wallv 34 across its upper end, and an outwardly-extending, annular flange 35 disposed substantially perpendicular to the centerline of the bowl and the neck. The `anni-'liar flange 35 is provided with an upstanding, marginal flange 38 which receives the lower end of the lantern globe 31, and a cap or lcover -38 rests on the upper end of the globe. VA lam-'p mantle 39 is supported in the globe 37 from the cover 3'8, and a tube 4D extends from the fuel bowl or tank 32 to the mantle support y4I to supply fuel to the mantle. rhe supply -of fuel to the mantle is controlled by the usual rna'nu-ally operated val-ve, not illustrated.

In order to mount the pyrophoric lighter in the lantern structure, above-described, 'a hole is provided in the annular flange 33 near the mid-width location of the latter, and with the bolt 22 andl knob 25 removed, the lighter is placed on the upper side of the flange 335, -so that the shaft I4 extends through theV hole in the Bange. The bolt 22 is then inserted through the hole in the flange and threaded through the aperture in the end portion or leg I3 of the lighter bracket, until the ange is firmly clamped between the head of the bolt and the adjacent surface of the end portion I3 of the bracket, the lighter being turned so that sparks thrown from the ilint by the striker wheel I8 will berdirected against the mantle 39. The knob 25 isl then vsecured in .place on the end of the shaft extending below the bolt head 24 by the set screw 21. As is clearly illustrated in Figure 1, the knob will be positioned below the flange 35 and adjacent the neck 33, and is entirely outside of the lantern, so that it is readily accessible for 'operation of the lighter. All of the lighter Structure except the bolt head and the knob is disposed within the lantern globe 31 where it is protected from dirt and moisture and against corrosion.

The lantern illustrated in Figure 2 is a twomaltle design' having tivo lamp rnantlfes-'Z therein, andl having 'a s'llbstalltally cylindrical globe 43. Otherwisi'eY the construction of 'the lantern is substantially the saine as 'that illus;

trated in .Figure -1 and described above, exceptthat the annular ange 44 extending outwardly from 'the upper end of the heck '33 is outwardly and upwardly inclined instead ofbeing su'lost'aiiv` tially perpendicular to the centereline of the neck and fuel bowl of the lantern. If 'the-lighter of 'the invention were secured in the lantern illustrated in Figure 2, in the saine manner as it is Secured ih the lantern `of Figure 1, it 'illol'i'itiV be inclined from the Harige toward the I'l 'lf-ties 42;, and would be placed tec clcse te 'trie .aiautres. in order te overcome this uimcuity, e 'pair of apertured adapter washers fc5- Iis disposed snr'-` rounuing the shank s23 or the belt 22, one above,

and one below the :lantern :flange del: :Each'foi these washers comprises Ya rectangular plate '41; f

having a central aperture e1 therethrough to receive the bolt shankr 'and having at fone end. a' perpendicularlyeextending flange 138. Whenthe:

washers are placed in position Varound the shank of the bolt 22 the flanges '43 are located to corh, pensate for the inclination of the lantern flange 44 and provide surfaces for the bracket -end portion I 3 and the bolt head 24- of the lighter which surfacesV are substantially perpendicular to theY center-,line of the fuel bowl. and neck of. the

lantern. Y

Figure 3 illustrates the application of, thelighter to' a two-burner gasoline stove having` two annular, wick-'type burners 5e and 5IN? mounted in a rectangular stove box` S2 and contion of the latter'.

A lliglfiter-s'uppcrting' erin 58, constructed or' a` length c'fvmetal cr elongated, rectanguiar fete-ss;-J section, is pivotally 'secured near one 'end 'to "t e clamp 5"'I by suitable means, such as the screwv o1" rivet 59 extending through registering `aper=` tures in the supporting 'arrn and the clara-p; At its other endV the -clamp is provided with a pendicularly-extending, -apertured Vend portion 6E! through which the bolt 2-2 extends to ri' "diy clanipthe lighter tothe supporting `ar-rn 53. W h

this construction the lighter can be swung freni: a position adjacent oneof the burners, as'='ill'1s trated in Figure 3, around to 'a positionladja'cent the other burner, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 3, and is operative to selectivelyT light both of the burners upon rotation of the lighter knob 25. The end portion or leg 50 of the pivotally-mounted supporting arm 58 is made of sufcient length so that the knob 25 can be conveniently rotated without interference by the supporting arm.

The invention may be embodied in other speciic forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come Within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

A pyrophoric lighter for attachment to a gaseous or vapor-fuel-burning device comprising an elongated bracket having a substantially straight intermediate portion and apertured lateral end portions extending perpendicularly from the same side of said intermediate portion in spaced-apart, substantially parallel relationship to each other, a shaft extending through and journaled in said end portions, a flint-carrying tube secured at one end to said intermediate portion adjacent one of said end portions and parallel therewith, said intermediate portion having an aperture in registry with the bore of said tube for the projection of a flint therethrough, a striker wheel circumposed on sai shaft opposite the aperture in said intermediate bracket portion, said other end portion being formed with a threaded opening, a bolt threaded through the opening and having a bore therethrough receiving said shaft for rotation therein, said bolt having a head opposed to the end portion and remote therefrom for clamping a lighter-supporting structure between said bolt head and said bracket end portion, and a knob secured on said shaft at the bolt head remote from said bracket for rotating said shaft and said striker wheel.

HAROLD F. MCKEE.

FRANK A. KOSMERL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,044,815 Phillipsen Nov. 19, 1912 1,131,221 Dietz et al. Mar. 9, 1915 1,662,333 Quinn et al Mar. 13, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 188,806 Great Britain Nov. 23, 1922 829,937 France Apr. 25, 1938 

